/m/los_angeles

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Could the Red Sox pry a decent package out of the Dodgers by just threatening to let the claims stand on both players? Beckett is owed $34 million after this season, and the Red Sox could well just want to be rid of that. Gonzalez had more perceived value, but also a much larger (and longer) contract.

Anyway, when was the last multi-player blockbuster trade during the waiver period?

Gonzalez is not the Red Sox’s problem, even if his phone was the source of the infamous text message to ownership requesting a clear-the-air session to complain about manager Bobby Valentine. But A-Gon is owed $127 million from 2013 to ’18, and considering his dropoff in power this season, that will not be money well spent.

The Phillies blew it when they refused to take advantage of a similar waiver claim earlier this month and move the declining, soon-to-be-34-year-old Cliff Lee and the $90 million plus left on his contract to the Dodgers.

Gonzalez, 30, is younger than Lee, but also showing signs of regression. True, he entered Friday with the sixth highest OPS of any first baseman in the majors. But his home runs the past four seasons have declined from 40 to 31 to 27 to 15 (with 37 games remaining). His current .469 slugging percentage would be the lowest for any full season in his career.

A major league source told me last week that the Red Sox would trade Gonzalez only in a “transformative” – or franchise-changing – deal. Dumping his contract alone would be transformative, and never mind that the Red Sox traded for Gonzalez only 21 months ago and signed him shortly thereafter. A lot has happened since then, don’t you think?...

Some fans will fantasize that the Sox could redirect the money saved on Gonzalez to other players, but in reality few superstars hit the open market these days. While the Sox would reap massive financial benefits by getting under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold by 2014, the new labor agreement limits spending on both domestic and international amateurs. What would be the point of saving all of that money, particularly when true impact talent is difficult to acquire?

Gonzalez, for all of his struggles earlier this season, still might be that type of talent; he has batted .355 with a .954 OPS in 223 plate appearances since June 22. Then again, he is trending toward becoming the Red Sox’s version of Mark Teixeira, a useful but overpaid slugger. If the Red Sox included significant cash in the deal, they could justify asking for Lee, Webster or any of the other Dodgers’ top prospects. And starting pitching is their biggest need.

@jonmorosi Source: If #Dodgers - #RedSox blockbuster occurs -- and it is "close" -- Boston would send some cash to LA.

Getting rid of Beckett is nice, but I really don't think it is worth selling low on Gonzalez. This contract looked like a steal before the season, at least compared to the other mega deals out there, a bad three months isn't enough to give up on him.

IOW, good work new Red Sox administration! If this happens (and I am sure it won't because it would just be too awesome), I look forward to only being worried about Tampa, Baltimore and Toronto over the next few years.

Getting rid of Beckett is nice, but I really don't think it is worth selling low on Gonzalez. This contract looked like a steal before the season, at least compared to the other mega deals out there, a bad three months isn't enough to give up on him.

But throw in Crawford's contract, too, and it gets interesting from the Red Sox, POV. That's a lot of dead weight off the payroll.

It's hilarious reading the opinions on Lee from the baseball columnists. He was portrayed as borderline heroic for turning down the Yankees and taking 'less' with the Phillies. Now? Waiver fodder. We'll be back with more from the Chris Farley show after this. (remember... when... you... you... signed Cliff Lee for over twenty million dollars... that was... that was awesome)

But throw in Crawford's contract, too, and it gets interesting from the Red Sox, POV. That's a lot of dead weight off the payroll.

That's true, but Crawford could conceivably be good again in the future once he is healthy. And the Sox are kicking in cash. Dumping a franchise first baseman to unload salary seems like a waste. And dumping a guy like A-Gon at the absolute nadir of his value just seems like a mistake.

For a team that is supposed to compete annually, this is a bizarre move and they aren't going to be able to just reload at first.

This has all the hallmarks of a Lucchino coup. Trade away Gonzo, Beckett and Crawford at a time the fan base won't squawk, then use your unparalleled bad judgement and non-existent negotiating skills to waste the entire amount on John Lackeys, presented to you on a plate by Boras at only three times market price. This is NOT the way to improve the team.

I'm only reconciled to this if they trade Henry and Lucchino as well as the players.

I just turned on MLB tv. Wonder if they'll have Heyman or Robo to blabber on about this. Crap, and I'm supposed to meet the gf and one of her friends for dinner. I don't think I can use massive crazy trade as an excuse to beg off. Drats!

Holy crap. This team has already done its level best to kill my interest in the Sox, and if this deal goes down as reported it'll be the final nail in the coffin. I'm sure they'll drag me back in eventually - they always do - but it's going to take longer than usual this time. I can see the argument for getting out from under Beckett and Crawford's salaries, but at this point I've lost all confidence that the current management team knows what it's doing and won't piss the savings away on equally bad deals for worse players.

The Red Sox are incredibly ###### up. This is a team that called somebody who called somebody who called somebody else who called some punk teenager into his office and told him to take down the Adrian Gonzalez poster before he was scratched from the lineup.

They have to sign Ellsbury to big money now. And they need pitching. And bring back Youk. Then, they're back in business, with Salty, Middlebrooks, Ross. Maybe Ciriaco can play SS and give them a little offense.

Man, just think what Theo could have gotten if he had signed Albert Pujols this offseason. Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Marmol, and Carlos Zambrano to the Dodgers for De La Rosa and another prosepct is a helluva lot better than anything he's done so far.

The Dodgers just took on like $250 million in contracts - one of which is good. Boston should not have dumped A-Gon, but if it gets you out from under Crawford and 2 years of Beckett then....

Also, count me in the camp that thinks this cements Bobby-V as the manager and someone who they are willing to go with for the foreseeable future. I don't know why they would come to that conclusion - he makes terrible moves - but damn.